Queen of Hell
by villettegoddess
Summary: AU in which the characters are Greek gods. Starring Johanna as Persephone, Judge Turpin as Hades, and Lucy as Demeter. Open for more details!
1. Chapter 1

Notice: I've taken some liberties with Greek mythology. In this story, Zeus isn't Persephone's father, and I've written out some of the gods with roles in the original myth. Enjoy, and I would love to read any thoughts you have! Warning: Like my last fic, this one discusses periods. Sex will be dealt with in more detail than in "Naked Came I."

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My mother and I raised sheep in the country. I grew up knowing only her and other farmers living in the fertile meadows; my father had been taken away by soldiers when I was still a baby. She was robust, my mother; her golden hair never seemed to gray and she was not prone to whining like I always did-mostly internally. In spring and summer she picked brilliant-colored flowers with which to decorate our cottage. Most of our time we spent corralling, herding and milking the sheep.

I can't remember there being much estrangement between us. Because she shamed me so little when I was a child, I felt comfortable telling her almost anything, although this might have been due to my rarely seeing any other people. Only when we walked to market for meat, olive oil, bread and the like. Our nearest neighbor was a man who kept an olive orchard with his young son, Anthony. In my girlhood, I didn't speak much at all with Anthony since he was a few years my senior, and to children a few years make a large difference. At the time of my first bleeding, when I was sixteen, mother reacted joyously, throwing her arms round me as I lay on my bed dumbfounded at the gore. "You are initiated into the mysteries of womanhood," she told me. I accepted her reaction as normal, nothing else occurring to me. See, she was vocal about her belief in the magic of the divine whenever she had the opportunity. To celebrate, she walked me all the way down to the beach, where we split a triangular cake with almonds on top. It was soft and laced with just the right amount of honey. I can still taste it; I don't think I've had any more sublime sweet to this day. With some wine she'd brought, mother poured libations to the Goddess into the sand. It was mixed with the blood. What we didn't finish of the cake was left as an offering.

The hems of our pleated dresses fluttered in the breeze. "Would you stand up, dear?" asked mother.

"What for?"

"This is important. It is vital that you go through life proud to be a girl. Proud to shed the blood." When I stood, she produced a knife from the sack she'd brought and handed it to me. "I give you this knife to remind you that no one can control you without your consent. Your body is your own, and it is not disgusting." She then poured the blood-wine mixture over my head. "You will know sweetness." Then, she went to take some sea water in her hands and repeated the action. "You will know anguish." Indeed, the saltiness, like tears, brushed past my lips in the splash. "There is the Goddess in you, Persephone. Remember that." Her bright features brightened more as she smiled at me. Real tears sprung from my eyes.

On the next market day, we walked to the village with Anthony and his father. As usual, she did most of the talking. Because my bleeding hadn't yet stopped, my legs were too weak to keep up with her and the farmer. Luckily, Anthony stayed at my pace along the dirt paths. It must have been at least a year and a half since I'd last seen him-he didn't look as I remembered. He was taller than mother and built with ample taut muscle which his sleeveless robe displayed quite well. I didn't know why, but I felt too timid to look there; even at his smooth face. "How are the lambs?" he asked in a newly deep, velvety voice.

"I-I have had to feed a couple of them milk myself, since their mothers abandoned them. We won't kill any for meat, not until they're fully grown. Mother prefers milking them for cheese, as you know." She went to his house to trade goods, often without me.

"And my father and I are grateful." Anthony's lips were full and rosy without being too effeminate. His hair was thick but soft, black and curly, trailing onto the sides of his face. His eyes were light blue. I can't say I understood sexual desire at that point, but I knew I found Anthony good-looking, and that looking at him-thinking of him-felt good. I understood wanting to see him naked. Mother had clarified the act of love (as she put it) for me when I glimpsed two sheep doing it by chance one day, but at that point I didn't fantasize about it. Our priority was our farm.

We got to the center of the village, built in a crevice underneath a large, bright meadow. There were steps leading up there. Farmers sold every type of food I knew under cloth awnings. Women balanced amphorae on their heads while carrying their babies in their other hands. Bargaining and easygoing chat filled the lane of sandy stone. I didn't feel much like picking out food this time, so I thought I'd take a walk. "Mother?" I called.

"Lucy, Persephone wants to say something," said Anthony.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to walk up those steps to look for flowers. Is that all right?"

"Of course. When the sun passes its zenith, meet me at the foot of the steps. Got that?"

"Yes, mother."

"See you later!" called the men as I ascended. It seemed other girls had had the same idea, the weather being pleasant. If it rained, the roads would be too muddy to travel. Some of them turned their heads. I had seen girls my age before, but not interacted with them. "Hello there!" I approached the girl closest in my path, who was brown-skinned and fresh-faced. "I'm Persephone. May I join you in whatever it is you're doing?"

"I don't see why not. My name's Leucippe. I'm with my sisters and some friends from the village we made. We're looking for berry bushes and flowers."

"Wonderful! Can I follow you?"

"Sure." The flowers I noticed immediately were deep purple. I might as well put one in my hair. What else could I do with flowers? "Hey, do you know how to string them together?" I called. Leucippe had strode a bit ahead of me. I was the outsider. It was up to them to reach out to me.

"Mm-hm. Just sit down and I'll show you." She picked some white ones I didn't notice. While she demonstrated, I couldn't help shielding my eyes to watch the sun, as I'd have been ashamed to disobey mother. My gaze flew back and forth. In my peripheral vision I saw the other girls walking and laughing together. Was it worth it to make friends with them? How did one make friends? I, living in relative isolation, didn't know. What could I talk about to help make more people special to me?

Leucippe placed a ring of flowers on my head. "There you go."

"That was kind of you!" We exchanged smiles. "I think I'll try to make one myself, okay? I'll just go over there; it doesn't look like any of the white flowers are here." Partially relieved, partially saddened at abandoning someone, I skipped over to a cluster of the desired blossoms. Other girls were close enough that I didn't feel detached from their company. All the time I watched the sun. Mother had a talent for socialization-she'd told me she grew up in a town larger than our village. She might dawdle herself.

In the direction opposite the steps, the land dipped then rose again into gentle hills. A tree bearing purple olives caught my eye, and I leapt to my feet: I could pick some for free as a snack! Fully comfortable in my solitary mode, I began to make bounds towards the hill. I held my new headband fast to my head, taking care not to misshapen the flowers.

Just before reaching the depression, I felt the ground move. As I behaved in reaction to all physical shocks, I screamed, certain that one of the girls would hear me and help me keep my balance. I looked behind and saw no one. While I tried to turn back, the tremor grew to a rumbling, so I struggled to remain standing. I spread my legs to bastion my stance. Dust flew into my line of vision from loud cracks beneath me- _the earth was opening up!_ "HELP!" I cried. "DOES ANYONE-"

Any sound I could have made was silenced by a tremendous fissure. More sandy dust billowed into the air; still I tried to regain my sea-legs. With sweaty effort, I climbed back to level ground. Before continuing, I glanced backward to see what had happened.

Out of the rift into the earth rode a man on horseback. The dust clouds thinned, and I was able to look at him.


	2. Chapter 2

p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"A/N: Expect updates to be far apart. Bear with me. /p  
hr /  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"He was like no man I'd seen before. He wore sober, formal clothes. His features were understatedly handsome, his face elliptical. He must have been one of the oldest men I'd ever seen, since his hair was silvery-gray, but he wore no beard like Anthony's father or the other men of the village. He looked strong and intelligent. Before I could turn back, I noticed that he looked at me with dumbfounded, twinkling eyes, his brows raised; his lips slightly open. It was the look one might have on first viewing the sea. After a few moments he dismounted the gray horse and came toward me./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""You came out of the earth," I exclaimed./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""You're beautiful," he observed in a low, sagely purr. "What is your name, sweetheart?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Persephone, sir. And thank you. Um, I need to be going. Good day. AAAIIEE!" He grabbed my arm, twisting me backward to face him again./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""What in the name of Goddess are you doing?! I have to get back to my mother! She'll be very worried! And cross with me." I kicked at his legs and scratched him with my free hand, shrieking more./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""You will go nowhere. I want you as a wife."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Why? On whose authority?!"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""I am King of Death," he snarled./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"A god! Mother had never mentioned the existence of male gods. This felt like a blow to my stomach-the shock made me limp. My assailant took the opportunity to seize me by the waist and lift me over his shoulder. "Put me down!" I ordered. That was stupid, as he clearly had the advantage of physical ability. I started to cry. I tried to scratch his back till I drew blood, but I hadn't noticed he wore armor. So it was enough to render me unconscious when he struck the back of my head./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"Blood throbbing, aching, brought me back to consciousness. Somewhere, water ran. It felt like I'd been out for some hours. For some time I lay with my eyes shut, half-asleep, then the fatigue subsided enough that I noticed I lay on smooth sheets, like no cloth I'd ever felt. Rolling onto my back, I opened my eyes. Daylight streamed down to the room via a window high above. My bed was soft as the finest sand, its pillows and sheets cream-colored in contrast to the walls of bluish, purplish, greyish stone. Over to my left stood a table with an elliptical mirror and mysterious objects resembling paint and brushes. A large chest with golden metal trim sat next to the bed. On the right, I saw the source of the running water: an elevated pool carved in the same stone into which water poured through a spout like the fountain in the village./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"Coming to my senses made me remember. A strange man claiming to be god of death had kidnapped me! My muscles stiffened, my head clenching uncomfortably. Could he have molested me in the past hours? I reached underneath my everyday chiton, the crucial spot not feeling any more open than before. In fact, my sandals were still on. The heaviness below my waist persisted thanks to my new monthly condition, but I had to disregard it to save myself. I had to move./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"What I needed to do was find the man and get him to free me. I had no guarantee that anyone had seen the kidnapping: mother could likely be worried or angry or both. This room did indeed have a door, so I opened it. Torches lit the vaulted corridors, so dark I had to blink to see well. I thought I'd look for more natural light. I didn't see any other doors as I walked. Eventually, I did reach an area under another great long skylight. The sun above shone so brightly that here, below the earth, the light was indistinguishable from daylight. It wasn't dark or stifling as one would imagine it to be under the earth. With its rain-like smell, the place made me think of a balmy, fertile grotto. In this purportedly divine realm, it didn't look like glass covered the openings./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""You!" called a man's voice./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""AAAIEE!" I jumped, raising my arms as if I could defend myself at all. I saw not the man on horseback, but a large, portly man with a brown beard. He resembled the jolly fat men of the village but for the sinister shape of his eyebrows and mean-looking torpor in his weary eyes. "Do-not-touch me!" I panted./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""I have no intention, miss," he said, rolling his eyes. "The master has exclusive right to you, as I understand."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""I-I cannot be married to him already! I was asleep for-" "Sweetheart, he is a god. We don't follow mortal customs. If he has taken you here, you're as good as his wife." I cringed at this man calling me sweetheart./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""I never asked for this. He stole me, sir. Tell me how to get back to the surface, or-" "Or what?" he laughed, clamping his plump, enormous hands onto my torso. "You're not exactly Goddess of the Hunt. I could knock you out with one blow, and so could Turpin." He swung me to the opposite side of the circular chamber, releasing me so that I got dizzy for a moment. I fell to my knees, worrying about moon-blood staining my chiton. "His name is Turpin?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""King Hades Turpin of the Underworld. Remember that; you'll be spending much time with him from now on." He snickered ominously./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"Too weary to speak, I simply rose and ran down another corridor. If I found some weapon, I could threaten them into giving me the means to leave!/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"The next room I found was sprawling; as well-lit as the bedroom, furnished liberally with linens and pillows of blue and purple. Candlesticks encrusted with glittering gems adorned the tables. A pool similar to the one I'd seen, more like a fountain, lined a wall, filled by two spouts. Truly, I couldn't remember seeing a space so inviting, relaxing or beautiful./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Would you like something to eat?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"This time it was my kidnapper. I froze. He came round to face me wearing an anticipative expression. This disarmed me-I expected him to attempt ravishment on first finding me in his home, not offer food! Unfortunately, those words made me realize that I hadn't eaten since breakfast the previous day, if I'd been asleep a day. Tentatively meeting his gaze, I balled my hands into fists. "Good day to you too, sir."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""I should expect a mortal girl to address her husband with more respect," he snarled. His eyelids remained low; he cocked an eyebrow./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""I am hungry, sir. Please, will you show me to the food?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Gladly. Follow me, if you please." What sort of behavior was this? If he wanted to break my will to go on and get me to submit to him, refusing to feed me would work perfectly. Eating would give me energy which I could use against him./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"Through an arch on the other side of the lounge, he led me to an oblong room with a table. A polished, high-backed chair sat at either end. Meat, fish, bread, purple olives and fruit were piled on top; I couldn't see the surface of the tablecloth. Bright paintings of plants and animals enlivened the walls. I might as well. I reached for the bread, which would fill me quickest. My captor stayed under the arch, only watching. When I finished the chunk of bread I'd torn off, he came up to the table, took one of the fruits, and held it before me. "Have you eaten one of these before?" he asked calmly. The fruit was round and red with pink undertones, the size of Anthony's fist. It was broken open to reveal plentiful seeds of dark red, shining and bulging. The shapes reminded me of eggs. Ovaries. I might have seen this fruit once or twice at the market./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"Silently, I took the fruit from him and plucked out a few of the seeds, which seemed like the edible part. My teeth broke through crisp skin, and tart juice gushed onto my tongue. It even stained my fingers./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Well?" asked Hades Turpin./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Somewhat tart for my liking." I took more bread, sitting in the nearest chair. He went over to take the other one. As I ate, he watched me, showing placid, unemotional contentment. He sat upright, composed like a statue. That gaze, on top of my predicament, drew tears of frustration. Once I'd consumed the whole loaf of rosemary-laced bread, I whimpered "Why did you have to steal me? You don't know who I am at all!" I stood back up, clutching the end of the table./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Well, I find you exceptionally beautiful. Are you not flattered?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""So, does a woman's value lie entirely in her beauty to you?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"Silence./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"He got up to leave. "Until I see you again, child."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""Wait!" I hurried after him. "I will not consent to stay here! Tell me how to get out!" I grabbed at his sleeve, scratching at his torso desperately. As his servant did, my captor outmatched me in strength-granted, he was a god-and took me by the wrists. One of his hands could wrap around a wrist twice the size of mine./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""All right," he conceded, "As you wish."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""What?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;""You heard me. I'll lead you to the surface."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"This confused me even further. But I had to take this chance, as I hadn't expected him to be so nice as to feed me. Retaining grip on my wrists, he led me out of the dining room and into an unfamiliar corridor. We came to a great flight of stairs which rose beyond my line of vision. However, I did see sunlight way at the top. With a gentle tug, I prompted Hades to release me, so I darted upwards as fast as I could without losing my balance. At the top, it seemed I was in a cave looking onto countryside dotted with trees. In the distance I recognized the village-I wasn't far from home! Smiling in relief, I started running faster./p 


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: "Nellie," as I usually call her, is taking the role of Hecate here. Her role doesn't entirely match that of the original mythology, but if I'd wanted to copy the original mythology, there'd be no point in writing this. (I can't believe I made Mrs. Lovett nice!) Enjoy, and again, I would be overjoyed to read commentary._

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The pain of a blow pierced my head, so much worse than anything I'd felt before that I nearly fainted. I fell to the ground, too weak to move once I regained my bearings on my surroundings. His footsteps approached. When I opened my eyes, I saw in a wavering blur his smiling face high above. The blow continued to smart.

I summoned the energy to rise up kneeling, looking back through the mouth of the cave. Reaching a hand out, I felt a wall that should have been visible. Hades circumvented me and left the cave for the field outside. Now self-aware again, I ran my hands over the wall in a hot panic. The food. The food did this.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I shouted. He came back within the barrier, chuckling, which drove me into wild choler.

"How dare I what, sweetheart?"

"You deceived me!" I tried to stand up without getting too dizzy. "You took advantage of me and you should be ashamed to have been so mean." Turning away from him, I started back down the stairs.

"You ate the pomegranate seeds," he told me, following. "So you will stay with me until winter ends."

It was then the middle of the harvest. All those months, dealing with him and his rotten servant?! "Well," I snapped, "I won't let you force yourself on me. I'll find a way to defend myself, mark my-"

At that point both of us had reached the bottom of the steps. Looking me in the eyes, he said "I shall do no such thing. When you come to me, it will be of your own volition."

A chill ran down my spine. I hurried to find the way back to my chamber.

"And I recommend taking a bath, girl."

Alone, I worried for mother and Anthony. I didn't think Anthony would deceive me as Hades had; he would prize my goodness without considering my appearance. He might meet some other girl during the next months and get to know her better than he knew me. How silly, I thought, that I missed him yet had barely spent any time with him since we were little!

Mother, meanwhile, must have passed from anger at me for deserting her into misery; fear for my safety; she had to know I hadn't disappeared voluntarily. When we met again, would she blame me for being kidnapped? She'd never taken such an attitude, but then I'd never done much to displease her. Furthermore, who could blame a girl who had seen so little of the world?

Without the farm and plants to look after, I struggled deciding how to occupy my time. I went over to the great chest, finding clothes under the heavy lid. Gold shimmered on the edges of a soft white pleated gown, looking like my chiton but lovelier. I gave him credit for surrounding me with enticing spaces and objects. There was more than one dress in the chest. One was light blue, petals of cloth dotting the waist downward, like butterfly wings. One was brilliant red. All came to at least my ankles when I tried them on. To see how they fit, I sat by the vanity with the paints. I had never known how luxurious and artistic clothes could be; this discovery seduced me to the idea. I was always inexplicably drawn to the pretty; what everyone called the feminine.

Beneath the dresses, I found a crown inlaid with pearls and rubies. If Hades were the king of death, he would consider me his queen, and a queen must have a crown. How dastardly of him to appeal to my senses so effectively! I'd given in to hunger only to trap myself doing so. Mother, without her only friend, could become depressed in the winter to come. Heartless he was for not considering that-heartless as only men can be. (Such was mother's moral teaching.) In the trial to come, I had to guard myself, for how did I know Hades wouldn't pounce on me despite his word? I supposed then, after all, thwarting him could be satisfying as an obstacle for me to surmount. Then I would be proud of myself like never before.

Restless, I took a walk through the hollow underworld. Due to the labyrinthine nature of the place, I was confident I wouldn't run into him or his fat cohort. Skylights continued to show my way. Pools of crystalline blue water abounded, as did waterfalls and glittering purple gemstones inlaid in the walls. Soft earth alternated with moss beneath my feet. I planned to bathe in my own pool once back in the bedroom.

The path I took had ceased to resemble a corridor, and I chanced upon an open, fog-filled space. Through the fog, I saw what looked like a river, only the surface glowed white. The enigma sent shivers, this time excited shivers, all over me. I crouched down and kneed my way to the edge, looking in the water. My hair fell over one side of my neck, reaching way down. I reached out a hand to inspect the river, but a great hissing jarred my calm, forcing me back.

Giant ripples broke out on the surface, the noise reverberating, and the fog momentarily cleared as a form rose from the water. A woman! Oh, how relieving to meet another woman down there! No, not an ordinary woman-anyone able to rise from glowing water and clear fog must be an avatar of the Goddess. I touched my forehead to the ground.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Tears in my eyes from the revelation, I rose to behold a woman floating just above the surface, her hair almost like my mother's but put up with diamond pins. She had assumed an aging, round face with round blue eyes and strong creases around the mouth. She wore gauzy rags of black, grey and purple on her stocky body.

"Oh, lady, you must tell me who you are first! I-" Seeing a manifestation of the divine power I'd heard of but never felt overwhelmed me. I couldn't easily talk.

"I am Nellie, goddess of the dead."

I might have fell back down in prostration, but she looked so human. "Are you the Mother of all things I have heard talked of?"

"There is Goddess in most everything, dear; I am merely one of Her number." "How-? What do you mean? I thought Hades was _god_ of death."

"My dear, the world is full of mysteries. Even I don't know everything. Anyway, I came to tell you not to touch the Styx. You look like a mortal. Is that correct?"

"Yes. My name is Persephone, daughter of Lucy."

"Then if you touch the water, you die. It is the final resting place of dead souls."

"And do you guard this place?"

"Not as much as I used to, since Hades-wait, how do you know him?" Nellie floated over to solid ground while I backed away for her.

"He took me for his bride. I am to stay here until the end of winter."

Looking away, she rolled her eyes. "Took you for his bride. Of course he did. Well, look out for him, dearie, he's a sly bastard. My, you're young. I hope you're smart."

"I like to think so! Now, tell me, who rules the underworld, Hades or you?"

"Things haven't been the same since the mortal men started believing in their own gods. He controls the passages to the earth. Not very nice."

"Could you get me back to my mother?"

"What d'ye think; I don't have that kind of power anymore! I'm sorry he got you, though; you can hide here if you want."

"Actually, I find the room he put me in quite comfortable. But he tricked me into being imprisoned."

"That is so like him. Well, all I can do is wish you luck challenging him. It's time he had a woman in his life to give him perspective."

I followed her along the banks, if you could call it that, of the Styx. "But Nellie, if you are part of the Goddess, what powers do you have?"

"I am destined to orchestrate the cycle of the moon, and consequently the lifecycle of women."

"Oh, then-" I fell to my knees and bowed to her again, bowled over to be in the presence of such tremendous power.

"Miss Persephone, you don't have to grovel," she said. "The Goddess does not rule over the world. She _is_ creation, yourself included. There is part of Her in you too; you aren't of a lower order." I looked up at Nellie, and she was smiling. Her way of talking soothed me: despite her pointed words, she spoke softly enough that I wasn't distressed or intimidated. "Oh my," I marveled. "My mother has told me that. I'd forgotten. Thank you, Lady."


End file.
